


Play It Again

by shopfront



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Drinking, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Making Out, Mutual Pining, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-15 17:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13035855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shopfront/pseuds/shopfront
Summary: It’s taken them a little while to find their groove, but the more they travel together the more confident Lucy is that Jiya and Dave have her back. Both in history, and at their local dive bar.(Lucy gets separated from Rufus and Wyatt on a mission, and the ripple effects are larger than anticipated. Lucy always had a different team AU.)





	Play It Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [in48frames](https://archiveofourown.org/users/in48frames/gifts).



> Thank you to A and G for the betas!

“You wouldn’t believe who we ran into!” Lucy called as she disembarked from the lifeboat. Agent Christopher raised an eyebrow from her spot behind the computer technicians as if to say, ‘go on’, so Lucy rushed down the stairs still talking. “Harriet Chalmer Adams! I couldn’t believe it! I knew we were going to be in South America, but I had no idea-“

“You don’t know who that is either,” Dave observed from behind Lucy, amusement clear in his voice even beneath the strict military respect. 

Lucy looked back and forth between them for a moment, and then threw her hands up and sighed loudly.

“She seemed cool,” Jiya said, finally following them down the stairs after her usual double and triple check of the control panel. Lucy grinned at her, and she shrugged in response.

“Jiya hadn’t heard of her either,” Lucy said, turning back to Agent Christopher. “She-“

“-was the first female journalist to do war reporting from the trenches.”

“-climbed the Andes on horseback.”

Jiya and Dave then chorused together, “and she’s going to form the Society of Women Geographers soon and inspire so many more people to travel the world!”

Lucy blushed a little, but continued smiling under the onslaught of teasing. Especially when Jiya walked past with a wink and squeezed her shoulder.

“She sounds fascinating,” Agent Christopher said dryly. “Why don’t you all tell me more about her another time. Did anything of note happen? What was Flynn up to?”

They all gave a quick run-down at once, speaking over each other until they were waved off. Dave threw a mock salute and followed Jiya out of the room while Lucy trailed behind them, still struggling with the fastenings on her vintage jacket. “I look forward to writing you a report on Harriet,” she called back over her shoulder, chuckling at the expression she got in response as she wandered off towards the changing rooms.

“I need a break,” Jiya said mournfully a little while later as they handed everything back off to the wardrobe people.

“I need a drink,” Dave echoed.

“I need to avoid my sister some more,” Lucy agreed.

Everyone winced. “Still too curious and not taking no for an answer?” Jiya asked, grimacing a little pre-emptively and looking sympathetic when Lucy nodded.

“Sounds like _you’re_ the one that needs a drink then,” Dave said, slapping her on the back. “First round’s on me.”

*

It didn’t take long before the buzz of a successful mission started to get worn down again by being back in their own time. Lucy’s ’no thank you!’ seemed loud, even against the background noise of the bar, and the tone of it made Jiya and Dave sit up sharply and look around. What they saw made them both frown as they watched Lucy walking towards them, three drinks balanced in her hands while a decidedly drunk looking stranger dogged her steps.

“I’m seeing someone,” Lucy said to the stranger with a huff as she finally reached them. Then she turned toward them pointedly as she set the glasses down.

Eyes wide, Jiya looked at Dave. But Dave just picked up his drink and looked placidly back at her, and then tipped his head slightly toward Lucy. Brow furrowed, Jiya turned back to Lucy and was surprised to be on the receiving end of a pointed, wide eyed stare that she recognised from their missions - _do something, already!_

“Right,” Jiya said, hurriedly reaching for one of the remaining drinks and taking a gulp. “She, um- she’s with me!”

Even as the words left her mouth, she grimaced awkwardly. But Lucy just smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling happily as she nudged one of the stools closer to Jiya before sitting down and leaning against her. Breathing in deeply, Jiya relaxed a little and pressed back.

“Wow,” the guy slurred, eyes alight. “Can I-“

The lightness quickly disappeared from Lucy’s expression, and her jaw clenched minutely.

“That’s it,” Dave said grimly, slamming his drink down, and then he started to strong-arm the man towards the door before he knew what was happening.

Jiya blanched and turned her head slightly toward Lucy without taking her eyes off their departing backs. “Should we…?”

“Nah,” Lucy said, fidgeting around to get more comfortable and draping herself across Jiya’s shoulders in the process. “He’d probably prefer we don’t lose the table while he’s gone.”

*

“Here’s to driving away losers,” Jiya cried some time later, raising her drink in the air.

“You didn’t jump in to play my boyfriend,” Lucy observed, watching Dave as she raised her own glass to clink away merrily.

“No, Ma’am,” he said with a smirk. “You’re in charge, and you don’t need saving unless you ask for it.”

“Damn straight,” said Lucy, smirking in return and knocking her drink back.

“Or not straight,” Jiya mused, spinning slightly on her stool only to stop when she wobbled alarmingly. Then she stiffened suddenly and turned wide eyes on Lucy. “Or. Straight. That’s fine, too. I mean, he was just- I don’t want to- I wouldn’t presume-“

Lucy laughed and pulled her close with an arm around her shoulders. “Relax, Jiya. Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

Jiya blushed a little and shrugged her shoulders just barely enough to be seen, not enough to dislodge Lucy. “No problem.”

“Besides, I thought it’d be more convincing with the cutest partner available,” Lucy said with a serious expression, collapsing into giggles when Jiya blinked back at her with a mix of shock and flattered surprise on her face.

“I think I should be offended I’m not considered the prettiest girl at the table,” Dave said wryly, and Lucy just laughed at him until Jiya broke down and laughed with her.

“Well, come on,” Lucy said suddenly once they had caught their breath. “I think my girlfriend would probably take me dancing.” She grabbed Jiya and a protesting Dave and tugged them both out onto the dance floor before they could stop her.

*

“I needed that,” Jiya groaned happily from her slump in the backseat of the cab as they pulled up outside her apartment building. “I so, so needed that.”

“Come on, lover,” Lucy said with a laugh and told the driver she’d be right back before walking around to open Jiya’s door and help her pour herself out of the car. “How are you still this drunk?”

Jiya looked momentarily offended. Then she straightened her shoulders in a determined fashion and carefully walked heel to toe with her finger on her nose all the way up the sidewalk and the short flight of stairs to her building. There she stopped, spun, and propped a hand on her hip. “I’m totally sobered up! See?”

Lucy just shook her head and followed her up. Just as she reached the top of the stairs she caught her heel and tripped with a small shriek, landing against Jiya with a soft ‘oomph.’

“You, on the other hand...,” Jiya said, laughing.

Lucy huffed a little, though her lips twitched. Then she looked up. Her arms were still tight around Jiya for balance as she looked into her eyes, and Jiya's laughter faded away.

“Jiya-“

Jiya licked her lips. “Yes?”

“I-,” Lucy started to say, but before she could continue a horn honked behind them. She blinked and frowned. “Hang on,” she said hurriedly and dashed back down the steps. Jiya watched, confused, as instead of getting back in properly Lucy quickly paid the man and re-emerged with her bag and her coat. Then she dashed back up the stairs - though not, Jiya noticed, without keeping a careful eye on each step as she went.

“You’re not-“

“We should-“

They both stopped, smiled, and then gestured at each other. “You go,” Jiya said.

“I don’t want to _presume_ ,” Lucy started, smiling nervously. The corner of Jiya's mouth curled upward and Lucy’s smile grew more confident. “But I had fun tonight. Dancing. With you. Dancing with you.”

Jiya tilted her head to the side and considered Lucy for a moment before she grinned back. “I did, too. Do you wanna…?” she asked, flicking her eyes to the door beside them. 

“Oh. Oh! I mean, I really actually don’t want to presume-“

“You already sent the cab away.”

“I can call another! I just, I thought maybe we should talk.”

Jiya reached out and took Lucy by one hand, and fumbled for her keys with the other. “Then let’s talk, but upstairs. Where there are couches. And coffee,” she said. It only took her a moment to find her keys and turn the lock. As she was stepping through the doorway, she looked back over her shoulder at Lucy. Framed in the light from the street, she was looking searchingly after Jiya, but before Jiya could open her mouth to invite her upstairs again Lucy had quickly followed her inside.

Pulling the door shut behind her as she went, Lucy barely slowed. She quickly crossed the short distance remaining between them, and stopped toe to toe with Jiya.

Jiya’s breath caught, and then Lucy’s hand was on her cheek and the other was on Jiya’s waist and suddenly Jiya realised that her eyes were closed because Lucy- Lucy was about to kiss her.

Then, before Jiya could process the idea, Lucy was kissing her. Desperately. Lucy pressed in closer when Jiya moaned, and Jiya didn’t know when or how but suddenly Lucy’s hair was threading between her fingers as she pulled her closer. There was a distant thump as Lucy’s bag and coat hit the floor, framed by the smooth slide of lips on lips and the desperate clutching of clothes.  

Finally they broke for air, foreheads still bent together and both refusing to relinquish their grip on the other.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile now,” Lucy confessed sheepishly, voice rough and still breathless.

“Not just me, then?” Jiya asked and hummed with pleasure when Lucy tugged her forward by her coat and kissed her again.

“Not just you,” she confirmed when she released her again. “You said something about coffee?”

Jiya grinned, enjoying the way the stretch of her lips felt after having been kissed so thoroughly. “Follow me,” she said, but instead of leading the way she waited until Lucy had gathered her things and they set off side by side, hand in hand.

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve deliberately left it up in the air about whether this timeline continues to play out or reverts, so you can imagine it however you prefer. I personally enjoy imagining the boys still in history oblivious to the changes that happened after Flynn returned to modern day with Lucy, and the new team running into Rufus and Wyatt at some point. There would probably be a lot of amusing confusion and respective yelling of Jiya? Bam Bam? Who the hell are you?


End file.
